Richard varley



July 16, 1929. R. VARLEY CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS Filed Dec. 2, 1926 avwemtoz v M 5351 1;. Slime/1 A spark plugs ti l Patented July 16, 1 3259.

?ATENT OFFICE.

UttlTiEiD RICHARD VARLEY, O1? ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO VAELEY DUPLEX MAGNET 00., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CONTROL 'SYSTEIVI FOB. ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

Application filed December 2, 1926. Serial No. 152,243.

This invention relates to systems for interrupting service upon a main. circuit, and more particularly to an auxiliary circuit adapted to be inserted in an ignition circuit of an internal combustion engine to open the ignition circuit when so desired.

It is the purpose of this invention, when applied to such ignition circuits, to provide means to open the main ignition circuit of an internal comhuston engine whenever the igni tion switch is in closed position with the engine not running and the breaker points off the ignition system contacting, to substantially eliminate the useless consumption of electric, current which may result in an exhausted battery.

Various unsuccessful systems have been heretofore employed involving mechanical and electrical apparatus. Generally speaking,.the mechanical devices required manual 7 operation to reinstate the ignition system into operative condition. This also applied to the usual electromagnetic apparatus as well as in these systems the opening of the circuit also opened the electromagnetic circuit and sub sequently the circuit was maintained. open by mechanical means. Other attempted systems made use of thermostatic devices but these have also proved very unsatisfactory.

Another failing of the present systems is that they frequently produce a spark at the causing the engine to back lire frequently resulting in considerable damage.

It is an object oi this invention to provide a system which will. not consume an appreciable amount of energy and which is reliable and positive in its operation, eliminates all possibility of improper tiring and at the same time is simple to manufacture and easy to install in all ignition systems without the complicity or" extra wires and additional terminals.

In accordance with this invention an auxiliary circuit may be provided which shunts out any effective inductance in the main circuit, positively opens'the main circuit and then after a predetermined voltage has been reached, holds the main circuit open and places a high resistance connection across the break in the main circuit. A resistance element or other equivalent in the main line having a voltage drop thereacross when current lloivs therethrough is utilized to insure an itial flow of urrent through tle auxiliary or its are so chosen that the action is positive and the holding current through the auxiliary circuit is negligible.

Any convenient means, such as a relay for example, may be utilized, to open the main circuit that will be responsive to a continuous direct current at a predetermined voltage and unresponsive to an interrupted current.

A detailed description will be given in connection with the drawing, in which:

Fi 1 is a diagrammatic sketch showing an embodiment of this invention as applied to a standard ignition system using a Ruhmkorf coil. s

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic sketch as applied to a stand rd ignition system except that a third or choke winding of the ignition coil is shunted instead of shunting the primary oi the ignition coil, the system being shown in operative condition.

; Fig. 8 is a plan view of a complete enclosed ignition coil including a relay connected in accordance with this invention and having the customary three external terminals. In the embodiment of this invention as illustrated in Figure 1, the main ignition circuit consists of a battery, usually astorage battery 1, having one terminal customarily the positive permanently grounded as at 2 and the other terminal connected to one side of the customary ignition switch 3. The other side of the switch is connected. as usual to one end of both the primary and the secondary windings land 5 respectively of an ignition coil 6, customarily designated as the switch (S. lV.) terminal of the coil. The other end 7 of the high tension winding being led oil from the high tension terminal H. T. to the usual distributing center D to be commutated to the respective points of application. The main circuit continues from the low tension or primary winding 4 through a conductor 8 to a flexible spring leai 9 having a contact 10 thereon mounted uponv and insulated from an arm 11 carried by the frame 12 of a relay, and then through contact 14, normally contacting with contact 10, and then through a resistance 15 thru conductor 15 to the timer terminal T of the ignition coil to one of a pair of breaker points 16 and 17, shunted by the usual condenser 18, and then to ground at 2, and back to battery 1 thus completing the main circuit.

The auxiliary circuit consists of two i, a when my shunting or short circuiting circuit for eliminating the inductive effect of the ignition coil by shunting the primary winding or a separate choke winding on the ignition coil through a relatively low resistance connection and consists of a conductor 20 connected at one end to the switch terminal S. W. of the ignition coil (5 andv at the other end to the frame 12 of relay 13. Pivoted to the frame and thereby making contact therewith is an armature 21 having a contact 22 thereon normally held away from a contact 23, arricd upon the outer end of spring 9 by means of a light spring 2-l tensioned between the arnuiture and frame. in order that the armature may be positive in its action and more readily .tollow through in its movement after once starting, it is extended rearwardly beyond the pivot and a counter weight Z1 is attached thereto to give the armature a greater mass and greater inertia. The weight 21 and the light spring 2% are adjusted relatively to each other so that the armature is slightly biased with its contact bearing end up by the overbalancing of the spring therefor once it is started down it will positively follow through its downward movement since once the inertia of the armature is overcome the only opposing force is the overbalancing force of the weak spring. Upon energization of relay 13 by means of the coil 25 wound upon a core 26, armature 21 will be drawn down and contacts 22 and 23 will first close and then contacts and 14 will open thereby first eliminating any inductive effect by shorting the primary winding and then opening the main circuit but leaving the break in the main circuit bridged by a relatively high resistance circuit. The relay is designed to be iii-responsive to pulsating, alternating or interrupted current and to insure this property a copper sheath 26 placed around the core. It has been found that a sheath of this nature has a decided tendency to slow up the action of the relay and to make it irresponsive to high frequency pulsating currents.

The second branch of the auxiliary circuit may be termed a holding circuit as it energizes relay 13 suiiiciently to open the main circuit and thereafter hold it open. This circuit connects the energizing coil of the relay across the resistance 15 and the contacts 10 and 1-3: by means of conductors 27 and 28. Thus the coil. will be energized whenever the breaker points '16, 17 and switch 3 are close. as shown by Fig. 2 and will actuate the armature of the relay to open and close the contacts above described in the correct sequence and thereby hold the main circuit open. It is obvious that when contacts 10 and let are open the relay bridges the opening and is directly across the battery thus insuring a positive holding action. The current required by this action is relatively little due to the high resistance of the relay.

Where atype of ignition coil is used as shown in Fig. 2, the circuits and action are similar with the description relative to Fig. 1, the ignition coil being designated by numoral. (r and the shunting circuit in this case shunts only a third wii'iding of a choke winding 1 ol the ignition coil.

This invention may readily be applied to an, ignition system using hedge-hog type of ign' ion coil in which the windings are similar to those shown in Fig. 1. but are placed upon a magnetic circuit having a small airgap. The electric circuits and actions would be simiia r to the application shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of this invention as applied to an ignition system 01 an internal combustion engine is as follows:

It for any reason ignition switch 3 is left in closed position with the engine stationary and breaker points 16 and 17c011tacting with each other, a continuous uninterrupted or socalled quiet current will low through the main circuit and through the holding branch of the auxiliary circuit. After the voltage for which the relay has been set is reached the relay will operate to close contacts 22 and 23 and thereby short circuit the etlective inductance of the main circuit The current will then pass directly from the battery through contacts 10 and 1%, through resistance 15, the resistance thus preventing a direct short across the battery and also creating a drop in potential across which the relay is connected. It has been "found advisable to use a resistance having a positive increase of: ohmic resistance with a rise of temperature as this will result in a greater voltage drop across the resistance as time goes on which drop will cause even a larger current to flow through the relay and insure positive action thereof. It urther movement of relay will open the contacts 10 and let and thereby open the main circuit after the inductive effect has been eliminated and place the relay across the battery with the result that no firing at the spark plugs occurs at this breaking.

Immediately upon opening switch 8 or upon rotation of the engine thereby opening points 16 and 17 the holding circuit is broken and the relay will become inoperative allowing contacts 10 and 14 to close and contacts 22 and 23 to open. The relay is so adjusted that the usual intermittent or interrupted current flowing as the points 16 and 17 are rapidly opened and closed by rotation of the engine does not energize the relay sufliciently to move the actuating member to close the shunting circuit and open the main circuit.

It will. be apparent that this invention may be applied to any standard ignition circuit by merely connecting to the customary external terminals on the ignition coil, namely S. N. (switch), l. T. (high tension) andT (timer) or a separate coil and relay may be built as Cir a unit Fig. Sand inserted in a standard circuit in place of the usual coil. Ithas been found that by preventing a continuous uninterrupted current from flowing thru the ignition coil the heating of this coil is materially reduced and consequently the coil, and, if

desired, the relay may be encased and conlined in a much smaller space than has been customary heretofore. Any relay that Will operate at a prescribed voltage to open and close the proper contacts in the correct sequence may be used.

.It is also obvious that many modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An ignition system comprising a main circuit for supplying current and having an induction coil therein, and an auxiliary circuit for controlling the continuity of said main circuit including means for short circuiting said induction coil of the main circuit and means for thereafter opening main cir cuit.

2. An ignition system comprising a main circuit for supplying current and having an induction coil therein, and an auxiliary circuit for controlling the continuity of said main circuit including means for short circuiting said induction coil oi the main circuit and means for thereafter opening said main circuit and maintaining said mam circuit open until opened at another point.

3. An ignition system comprising a main circuit for supplying current having an induction coil therein, and an auxiliary circuit for controlling the continuity of said main circuit including a b 'anch circuit for short circuiting the inductance coil of the main circuit through a relatively low resistance connection and another branch circuit for'opening said main circuit and holding it open until the main circuit is opened at another point.

4. An ignition system comprising a main circuit having an inductance coil and resistance therein, and an auxiliary circuit including electromagnetic means responsive to an uninterrupted current to shunt said inductance coil through a relatively loW resistance Winding and to thereafter open said main circuit at one point, and insert a relatively high resistance connection acrosssaid openmg.

5. An ignition system comprising a 'main circuit having an inductance therein, a relay responsive to uninterrupted current and irre sponsive to interrupted current,a circuit con trolled by said relay to short said inductance and a switch in said main circuit controlled by said relay.

6. An electric system comprising a main circuit and an auxiliary circuit for control ling the continuity of said main circuit, said.

auxiliary circuit including a relay responsive to a continuous current and irresponsive to interrupted current, said relay being permanently connected across a portion of said main circuit, and electrical connections thereto whereby said relay once energized will remain energized after the main circuit has been interrupted thereby. I

'7. An electric system comprising a main circuit and an auxiliary circuit for control: ling the continuity of said main circuit, said auxiliary circuit including a relay responsive to a continuous current and irresponsive to interrupted current, said relay being permanently connected across a portion of said main circuit and electrical connections thereto whereby said relay once energized will re 'main energized after the main circuit has beenmterrupted thereby and de-energized when said main circuit is opened at another point.

8. An electric system comprising a main circuit, a source of electromotive force therefor, and an auxiliary circuit for controlling the continuity of said main circuit, said auxiliary circuit including electromagnetic means responsive to continuous current at a predetermined voltage and irresponsive to interruptcd current, and having an energizing coil normally shunted across a portion of said main circuit, and connections to said means whereby said energizing coil is connected directly across said source of E. M. F. when said relay is in operative condition.

9. An electric system comprising a main circuit, a source of electromotive force there for, and an auxiliary circuit for controll ng the continuity of said main circuit, said auxiliary circuit including a relay responsive to continuous current at a predetermined volt age and irresponsiveto interrupted current and having an energizing coil normally energized by a portion of said E. M. F. and connections thereto controlled by said relay for connecting said energizing coil directly across said source 015E. M. F. when said relay is in operative condition.

10. An ignition system comprising a main circuit having an inductance coil therein, and an auxiliary circuit for controlling the continuity of said main circuit, said auxliary circuit including electromagnetic means and branch circuits controlled thereby under con trol of said electromagnetic means When a continuous current flows in said circuit to first short circuit the inductance oi the main circuit and thereafter open said main circuit While maintaining current through said electromagnetic means.

11. An ignition system comprising a main circuit having an inductance, a resistance, and a switch in series therein, a source of electromotive force therefor, a relay responsive to continuous current and irresponsive to inter rupted current, and having an energizing cell norinally connected across said resistance, a circuit controlled by said relay to short circuit said inductance, said relay also being operative to open said switch after said inductance has been short cirouited, and connections controlled by said relay whereby said energizing coil of said relay is connected across the said E. hi. F. after said switch has been opened.

12. An electric system comprising a main circuit, a pair of switch contacts therein and an auxiliary circuit for controlling the continuity of said main circuit, said auxiliary circuit including a relay having its energizing coil permanently connected across a portion oi the main circuit, said relay being responsive to continuous current and irresponsive to interrupted. current and operable to open and close said. contacts, and electrical connections to said relay whereby said relay after being energized will remain energized until the main circuit is interrupted at another point.

13. An electric system comprising a main circuit, a source of electroniotive force connected thereto and an auxiliary circuit for controlling the continuity of said main circuit, said auxiliary circuit including a relay responsive to continuous current at a predetermined voltage and irresnonsive to inter rupted current; and having its energizing coil normally shunted across a portion of the main circuit, and connections thereto whereby said energizing; coil is connected across the source of electroinotive force when said relay in operative condition.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

RICHARD VARLEY. 

